“Today, early in the morning, at 03:37, we were informed by the National Operational Centre about a civilian aircraft missing from radar while flying at the border of Athens FIR and Cairo FIR. Specifically, a civilian Airbus A320 aircraft of the Egyptian airlines which entered at point PINDO and flew out of it at point KUMBI, en route from Paris to Cairo, at a height of 37,000 feet, disappeared from radar 5-10 nautical miles south of point KUMBI.
The search and rescue procedure of the Hellenic Armed Forces was immediately activated. The signal was received at 03:37. Four minutes later, at 03:41, following a request of the Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, an order was issued for a C-130 aircraft to take off from 112 Combat Wing. The aircraft took off immediately and, in parallel, the Hellenic Navy was also asked to contribute to the search and rescue operations. The Frigate “NIKIFOROS FOKAS” departed from Astypalaia island heading to the area of the incident. A NOTAM was issued and a PAN PAN emergency signal was sent.
59 passengers and a crew of four persons were on board the aircraft. The contribution of Egypt is two F-16 aircraft and one C-130. From the side of the Hellenic Armed Forces were activated two C-130, the Erieye aircraft which is a maritime patrol aircraft, the radar for the coordination and communication. At the same time, two helicopters, one Super Puma and one S-70, were ordered by the Operations Centre to fly to Karpathos island, in order to participate in the search and rescue.
In parallel, “MATROZOS” submarine, which is in a NATO exercise, was also notified – although it is located about 100 miles away from the area where the signal was lost – to participate, if needed, in the search.
I contacted the Egyptian Defence Minister early in the morning, General Sedki Sobhi and I declared him Greece’s intention to conduct search and rescue operations. He thanked me particularly. I informed him about the Greek assets which participate and I told him that the Hellenic Armed Forces are ready and willing to provide any support to the friendly and allied Egyptian Armed Forces.
Moreover, I contacted the French Military Attaché who informed me about France’s participation with a Falcon maritime patrol aircraft. I stated him that the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence accepts France’s participation in search and rescue.
The director of our diplomatic office, Ambassador Mr. Karagiannis, contacted the Military Attache of the US Embassy and the attaché of the Russian Embassy. From the part of the US we have the participation of a maritime patrol aircraft P-3, the participation of which in the search and rescue operations we accepted. I contacted also the Commissioner Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos and I informed him on every action taken by Greece.
What we know for now from the air image of the National Operational Centre is that at 03:37 the aircraft located 10-15 miles off the borders within the Egyptian air space, in Cairo FIR, at a height of 37,000 feet, took a turn of 90o to the left and then a 360o turn to the right falling from 37,000 feet to 15,000 feet. The image that we had was lost when it reached about 10,000 feet.
The Egyptian side was also informed about this and is being constantly informed. We asked France, via the Military Attache to Athens, the operational image which probably was taken by “HELIOS” satellite or by operational assets owned by the French Armed Forces and our request was accepted. We also asked any of our friendly and allied countries can provide us a satellite image or any information, to transmit it directly to Egypt, either via us to the Egyptian Armed Forces.
I would like to express, on behalf of the government and the Prime Minister himself, our wishes for this case to have a good end, although it seems that the aircraft has been lost and there have not been any clear results of the search and rescue operations so far. We continue and we assign also F-16 aircraft from Crete, if needed, to participate in search and rescue operations. I am ready to answer your questions, if any.
JOURNALIST: There is a rumour about a fix, given by an alaram signal. Do you have any relevant information? Is the search conducted in a limited area or in a very wide area?
P. KAMMENOS: We had not received something like that a few hours ago. There has been information about a fix, we are investigating it from the official sources, in the area located at the west of the aircraft’s point of entry. But this is not confirmed information. For any latest information you will be informed by the Press office.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, the search at 40 nautical miles around the first fix does not seem to lead to any results so far at least. Based on the turns that you mentioned it took, is there any estimation or decision as to whether the search area will be broadened?
P. KAMMENOS: The information gathered by the Hellenic Air Force and the Meteorological Service were that north-northwest winds blew in the area at a speed of six beaufort which, I think, at this time and later will have reduced to four beaufort. You may realize that with this information we started the search and rescue basically in the Greek air space, Athens FIR. Apart from this, we are and we stated that we are ready to provide any support is required to the Egyptian forces that are responsible for the search and rescue within the Egyptian space
JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, can you give us a picture, if you have any, about the width of the area where search is conducted by the Greek and the Egyptian sides, and secondly, have you spoken with your Egyptian counterparts and what do they think that happened?
P. KAMMENOS: As far as the width of the area is concerned, it stretches from the first point of 40 nautical miles around which it seems that there was a disappearance of signal. The 40 miles was the area that we searched at first and, of course, as time passes, our aircraft, frigate and naval assets which we assigned, as well as the electronic means that we have help us broaden the search area beyond 40 miles, as much as needed, until we probably detect any important findings that will help this operation.
JOURNALIST: What are your Egyptian counterparts’ estimations about what happened?
P. KAMMENOS: There are no estimations and I would like to tell you, because we hear too many rumours, it is too early to reach any conclusions. It is an aircraft that left a safe airport in France, a civilian aircraft which had certain means. The search will be conducted by those who are competent for the area where the incident took place. If any contribution of ours is required, we are ready to provide any evidence we have.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, what do military radars, which detect areas lower than the ones of the civilian radars, below 10,000 feet, show?
P. KAMMENOS: Until now, we have no evidence. You realize that the military patrol aircraft which is in the area and is an aircraft with very great capabilities coordinates the action, but so far there are no official evidences, neither ours nor of some allied force, which show us something concrete, as far as military means are concerned.
JOURNALIST: That is, did you lose the fix at 10,000 points?
P. KAMMENOS: Even lower, searches are conducted at 5,000 feet too. The C-130 as well as the assets that we assigned conduct searches at a lower level too, and yet the frigate “NIKIFOROS FOKAS” has activated all the means that it possesses.
JOURNALIST: But the turns that you described to the left and then to the right obviously are derived from the radars because there were no air assets back then.
P. KAMMENOS: It is the aerial image that we have from the depiction that was given at the time. That is, at 03.39, we see the course of the aircraft south and east of Kasos-Karpathos islands, then it flies in Cairo FIR where it does this maneuver and then it starts going down, as I described you earlier.
JOURNALIST: Many hours have passed; we do not have any news, what is your comment about the fact that nothing has been found?
P. KAMMENOS: You realize that at a wind speed of 6 beaufort it is difficult enough for any evidence of probable fall of the aircraft to the sea to be visible. We have provided any means that we have at this moment, to Egypt too. We accept, however, from all our allies the cooperation that they offer, in order to be able to help.
JOURNALIST: Did the Turks ask to contribute?
P. KAMMENOS: I do not have such information, however, I do not think that it is an area that concerns this country.
